There Are Many Running Routes In And Around The...

Theale, United Kingdom

There are many running routes in and around the village of Theale. The simplest suggestion is to take to the canal. Leave the village along Station Road, cross the railway bridge over the railway tracks and continue for another third of a mile and you come ot the canal. If you turn right (west) you are running towards Thatcham (about 8 miles) and Newbury (about 15 miles). The towpath has almost no buildings along it. This is a tree-lined canal, and the landscape fairly flat but very scenic. This is classic English countryside - green and tranquil. You first run past a series of lakes on the left that are renowned for their bird life. The path then opens out and takes you across fields of cows and sheep. Depending on the time of year, your path is likely to be full of rabbits and squirrels and occasional deer and foxes. I have seen glow-worms on the path on autumn evenings. Along the canal, you will see swans and ducks, and often a heron sitting on the weir, waiting for fish to come by. The first and only public water supply is a tap by the Aldermaston Canal Visitor's Centre. This is about 4 and a half miles from the start of the run in the centre of Theale. So there and back is a bracing 9 mile run that I can recommend. If you turn left (east) you are running towards Reading (about 6 miles). This route is not quite so pleasant as you have to pass beneath the very loud M4 motorway, and you continue alongside it for a little while. There are nevertheless some very pleasant and quiet stretches through woodland and across fields. The route splits at one point, and your best bet is to follow the signs for the bicycle route. This is a much better defined path. The route eventually takes you into central Reading.